Putting Stretchyness In Fondant
Decorating By FuturamaFanatic Updated 16 Feb 2007 , 8:03pm by cake-angel
Ok, so I'm completely fed up!
I'm a cake hobbyest and I like to work with fondant. However, I do find the MMF a bit too sweet (although it has all the properties I'm looking for) I don't like buying the Wilton fondant for $30 for 5lbs in town, and I really don't want to drive 45 minutes each way into a specialty store where they sell fondant (although that is probably what I will end up doing), I'd like to make my own. However, after using some of the recipes on here, glycerine and gelatine and glucose etc. and even using one recipe that was titled "fondant" and only had powdered sugar, shortning and lemon juice as the ingredients (WHAT WAS I THINKING? OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T WORK!! 
) I can not make the nice stretchy fondant that Wilton sells. It will turn out well, but doesn't have the nice elasticity that I would like it to have and it tears more than stretches.
I have done some searching on this site but nothing definitive and conclusive that would help make stretchy fondant. A lot of threads lead to dead ends as there are several "bumps" but no replys other than "I was wondering about that too".
These two threads I have found interesting, although the first one I have a very hard time following...
http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=13390&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-10811-collette.html
So, just wondering, How do you make nice stretchy fondant?
Have you tried adding gumtex to your fondant? That gives it some elasticity. Works well in MMF, which is what I use.
I always believed that adding gumtex made it dry faster? Am I wrong?
Gumtex is going to make it dry faster AND harder. Not sure that I would cover a cake with it.
Try adding shortening to the MMF recipe and less water. It comes out soft, pliant, and doesn't dry out or crack.
Hope that helped.
Angie
Yeah, I have no problem with MMF other than it's too sweet for my liking.
fondant is easy to make. I usually use Toba Garret's recipe (from her first book). You can get glycerin at michaels, plus it takes corn syrup, powdered sugar, a bit of flavoring, and geletin (which you can get at any supermarket). Seriously - i made 6 pounds (3 batches) yesterday in about 15 minutes. Just covered a cake with it this morning and it works beautifully.
are you open to ordering online?
i love satin ice (choc and vanilla). it tastes great, has a much better texture and flavor than mmf. if you buy in large 20lb containers, you can get it down to about $3 a lb (you said they charge $6 there for wilton????!!!) and this stuff is fantastic.
www.satinfinefoods.com
www.bakedeco.com
www.intotheoven.com
if you do make homemade, dont use gumtex, it will harden. i have only made mmf in the past - not anymore! :0) but the recipes and info i have read seem to suggest glycerin and vegetable shortening for elasticity. your climate may have a bit to do with your issues- where do you live?
I have Toba's fondant and I found that after it sits for the 24 hours it has a lot more elasticity after you knead it. If you don't knead it first it does tear but once kneaded and warmed by your hands it works wonderfully. I used glycerin in my recipe as it is supposed to aid in stretchability. Adding crisco while you work with it also restores stretchability quite well if it seems to be drying too quickly.
Thanks melysa for those links. I just checked them out.
www.satinfinefoods.com has no ordering information that I could find on the site so I requested some.
www.bakedeco.com only ships within the US
And www.intotheoven.com has a 20lb bucket for $50, but the shipping is another $30standard ($158!!! for expedited!!!! holy $#!%) so we're still talking $80 (US currency) for a bucket of fondant! (which mind you is only $4 a pound, but I don't have $80+ to shell out on some fondant. )
(Just a side point, if I used the expedited, it would be $10.50 a pound!)
Soooo....any other tips?
Just wanted to mention I'm from Ontario Canada, would the climate change anything?
Which is better to use for a cake, satin ice or mmf ? Does it dry hard, can you do swags with it and flowers. I hate the taste of wilton fondant, and I am making a conrimation cake this march? Can you fill me in on what to use?
After I made the MMF for the first time, I let several people taste it and the Satin Ice. They said the taste was very very similar. If you think it's to sweet you can add salt and flavoring. I use salt and butter/vanilla flavor.
You can cover cakes with it and make decorations. I only use Wilton fondant on cake dummies.
fondant is easy to make. I usually use Toba Garret's recipe (from her first book). You can get glycerin at michaels, plus it takes corn syrup, powdered sugar, a bit of flavoring, and geletin (which you can get at any supermarket). Seriously - i made 6 pounds (3 batches) yesterday in about 15 minutes. Just covered a cake with it this morning and it works beautifully.
I'd like to try this recipe, do you have it?
i make mmf, insted of using water i use lemon juice and a little bit of popcorn salt, then whatever flavor i want. the lemon and salt really cut down on the sweetness.
fondant is easy to make. I usually use Toba Garret's recipe (from her first book). You can get glycerin at michaels, plus it takes corn syrup, powdered sugar, a bit of flavoring, and geletin (which you can get at any supermarket). Seriously - i made 6 pounds (3 batches) yesterday in about 15 minutes. Just covered a cake with it this morning and it works beautifully.
I'd like to try this recipe, do you have it?
can I post the recipe here since it is out of a published book?
I do recommend buying her book "the well decorated cake." there a many great tips and recipes. If the moderator says it is ok to post the recipe, I will do so.
I would like it to. I remember reading in a post somewhere (I still don't have the searching method down pat or else I would post it) about being able to share recipes from publications as long as it's not for profit, that we pay you for the recipe.
I don't know if someone else can find that. Anyways, I would like to try that recipe as well.
Here is the recipe for Toba's fondant. It is right in the recipes here on CC. I love it and I used plain vanilla last time i made it and skipped the suggested flavors. I did add a little salt though. It tasted really nice after it mellowed for the 24 hours.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2127-20-Toba-Garretts-fondant.html
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